South suburbs prepare for a green future

February 19, 2009|By Joel Hood, TRIBUNE REPORTER

In southern Cook County, a national push toward "green" manufacturing holds out hope for some of the poorest communities in the region that sit amid abandoned mills and rusted-out warehouses, scars of a once-mighty industrial center.

Local community colleges are spearheading creation of a statewide task force to research and promote green building techniques and conservation at the same time they're revamping curricula to feature renewable energy systems and environmental certification. Metal manufacturers are exploring ways to use their existing resources to tap into the ever-growing market for wind and solar power.

And just last month, a green manufacturing conference in Chicago Heights lured more than 200 area business owners, investors and civic leaders hungry to capitalize on the next big thing.

It remains to be seen how President Barack Obama's green jobs initiatives will trickle down to places like Harvey, Dolton, Robbins and Calumet City -- blue-collar areas still reeling from the loss of steel manufacturing giants in the 1980s.

A recent report by the U.S. Census Bureau showed Harvey (population 29,000) had the third-highest unemployment rate -- 22 percent -- among cities of its size in the country.

Working conditions are not much better in nearby Dolton, where unemployment has soared to nearly 20 percent in the last three years.

Those are grim numbers that don't even include the hundreds of construction, retail and service-industry jobs lost in those communities in the last couple of months amid the deepening recession, officials said.

So when people talk about the coming wave of green manufacturing jobs -- building the parts to make the wind turbines and solar panels that are supposed to power the new U.S. economy -- they can't help but dream big.

"You're talking about something that really has the potential to be a rebirth for this whole area," said Reggie Greenwood of the Chicago Southland Economic Development Corp. "The workforce is here. The transportation and railroad lines are in place. The location is ideal for manufacturing."

But the reality is that the slumping economy and credit crisis has slowed production at many solar- and wind-energy production plants. Even if things turn around quickly, it still may be one or two years before those coveted jobs hit the market locally, Greenwood said.

That dampens the enthusiasm at places like the Illinois Department of Employment Security on Illinois Highway 1 in Harvey, where most weekday mornings, dozens of people looking for work or state assistance wait in a line that stretches a half-block.

"To me, I feel no job is secure," said Marvin DeBerry, 43, a Calumet City resident and former steelworker who was laid off recently from security at a technical college. "Anything that could bring more jobs to this area would make a big difference."

Said another man visiting the employment office: "It'd be great if it happened, but it's not going to happen over night."

Community colleges are looking ahead. At Prairie State in Chicago Heights, South Suburban in South Holland and Moraine Valley in Palos Hills, educators are considering new classes centered around sustainable energy technologies and manufacturing. One proposed course at Prairie State would teach the fundamentals of biomass and geothermal energy, hydrogen fuels and nuclear power. Another would allow students to achieve government certification for green practices and help develop environmentally sound business strategies.

At Moraine Valley, officials are talking about creating armies of specialized workers to maintain the wind turbines that will comprise the alternate energy farms in Southern and Western states.

"For every 10 wind towers that goes up, that's one new tech job," said Linley White, dean of Moraine Valley. "That's going to demand a very specific skill set."

Metal manufacturing and fabrication businesses are getting into the act as well. Steel tubing is being supplied by Allied Tube in Harvey to builders for structures to support rooftop solar panels on commercial businesses.

Dan Kuzniewski, global marketing director, said the company is considering expanding to build the structures itself, gaining a firmer toehold in the growing solar marketplace.

"The train is moving full-speed ahead and we want to jump on it," said Kuzniewski, whose company has roots in Harvey that go back 50 years.

While most see the potential in creating a green manufacturing base in southern Cook County, many are cautious about setting hopes too high. For starters, they said, local companies need to seek partnerships with established alternative energy companies based mostly in Europe. And they need to build parts cheaper and more reliably than competitors abroad. No easy task.

"Is this enough to spark a renaissance in our manufacturing base? My quick answer is no," said Chuck Jenrich, the dean of continuing professional education at Prairie State. "But is it enough to stop the erosion of jobs here? My answer is yes it could be."